Forest Guardians
by himitsucho009
Summary: When Esca and Marcus head off on another adventure, everything falls apart. The group is capture by cloaked and masked figures. Will they be able to get out alive or will they even want to leave?
1. Chapter 1

◇ Esca P.O.V ◇

Slave. . . Slave slave slave. That is all I am to these Romans. If my clan could see me now I would be stoned to death.

"Esca." I was snapped out of my thoughts by Marcus. The one Roman I can stand.

"What is if my friend?" I asked

"You were lost in thought again." He smiled at me. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Remind me again why we must travel with four barbarians. I can stand one or two, drawing a line at three, but four is pushing it" Percious called to the rest of our company.

I sighed shaking my head. Typical Roman. . . always thinking he is better.

"Percious will you stop that loud mouth yours before it gets us killed"

"If only..." I heard my fellow Britain, Jact, murmur to Lirk and Trag. I found myself chuckling with them.

"Esca" I stopped chuckling and looked at Trag.

"Do yo know where we are?" He asked. My eyes widen and I quickly looked around the forest. We had walked off the small path and now we are in a place unknown to me. I looked to Lirk and Jact, they shooked their heads in response.

"Marcus." I whispered to him

"What is it my friend?"

"I do not know where we are. We have traveled far from the path."

"Are you sure my friend?" I nodded slowly. It is strange for me to be in a place I do not know. I have prided myself on knowing the land inside and out. And now it feels like I'm lost in the dark. "Very well." He stopped his horse and turned it to the eight others.

"We are going to stop here for tonight." He said

"Slave go get some firewood and food if you can manage it" Mallious said laughing with Lucious, his brother. Narisious talked with Marcus. And Percious chuckle with Farious.

》Timeskip《

As the sun started to set we laid down for the night. I had the first watch and it was quiet. . . Well Beside the Romans snoring.

Later in the night Lirk relieve me so I may have some sleep.

I dreamt of place with wooden giants in the trees and smoke in the day. Masks of iron and clothes of black. Flames and figures dances in the night. Then peace...it seemed like I was lying on my back looking up at a forest canopy. "Esca..." whispered a soft voice. I sat up in the dream to see who called me. I saw a woman in a dress the color of mint leaves. I couldn't see her face but I knew she was smiling at me. I stood and walked over to her. She held out her hand, it was small and rough. I took her hand with my own, "come." She whispered. I didn't object as she pulled me. I watched her body as she drug me into a bush which had a clearing on the other side. Then my feet became planted to the mossy ground. She gave a small pout before giving me a smirk."I'll see you soon." I wanted ask on what she said but I did not get to ask her such a question.


	2. Chapter 2

¤ Esca's P.O.V¤

I was pulled back into the real world when Lirk gently shook me. Jact and Trag stood off to the side looking out into the forest. I heard a falcon cawed in the distance and birds sounded in the morn.

"Esca I do not like it." He whispered

"You do not like what?"

"Jact and Trag all they have done is look out into the forest."

"How long have they done this?"

"Since the falcon has woken."

"The falcon?"

"Yes have you heard it?" I stopped and listened for the caw of said falcon. The noise echoed through the campsite. _No falcon is that noisy_.

"Lirk? Have you known a falcon to caw so much?"

"No and that is what I don't like."

I watched as Jact and Trag answered back. 'What are they doing?' I thought to myself. Listening I heard only the sounds of the forest. I then heard a growl, almost like a wolf or bear. That was when we ambushed.

Loud calls in a native language was what the Romans awoke to. The attackers were quick and protected each other with ease. They were in a perfect unison fighting.

Soon wolves joined in when they were called to by their masters.

We were overpowered in minutes. My guess is that the fight was over before it had begun.

Our unit was bound at the wrists and forced to follow them. In the blur of battle I did not get to see them but now I saw that they had black coats and iron masks. _Like my dream_. They were all talking to each other but they never made any noise. They spoke with their eyes, looking at each other, then they pulled us farther into the forest.

"Esca," I looked over to Marcus, "talk to them. See what information you may get."

I nodded and looked over to the nearest captor and when I went to say something...

Jact spoke quickly in a language not known to me. The captor laughed and cut his and Trag's bindings. One of the captors launched themselves into Trag's arms, giving him a fierce hug. Jact whispered something to another captor but all he got was an elbow to his gut, and yet he just chuckled and jogged to catch up with the masked man.

I looked behind me to see the captors riding our horses bareback. The wolves playfully nipped at the heels of the black clothed men that walked.

I was pulled from my thoughts when Percious yelled out when he tripped. They said something to Jact and he translated for us.

"If you continue yell about tripping. Imagine the screams you'll have when you meet Tallis." Jact chuckled to us.

"Jact why did you take us off the trail?" Asked Lirk.

"To go home." Was all the answer we got.

I did not know how long we had been walking but we soon came to a clearing. A clearing with a village and at least 100 villagers. And wood giants. Three wood giants stood in posses. At the base of each was a huge firepit.

 _'Was my dream more than a dream?'_

I looked around at the village to find that there homes in the trees, on the ground and even on the lake and river that ran through the clearing. The clearing itself was surrounded by mountains and cliffs. Tall trees grew everywhere, there were fruit trees, nut trees. Gardens were layen wherever they could be placed. Fences held goats, sheeps, pigs, deer, horses, and ever some cattle.

The villagers smiled at our captors. Our captors walked us into the edge of the village and the took off their masks and hoods.


	3. Chapter 3

¤Esca's P. O.V¤

We were in shock to find that the black clothed men were in fact black clothed women, all who were beautiful. Some of the women broke off to go to their families and some whistled. Beasts came running to them; mountain lions, wolves, hawks, foxes, falcons, even rabbits and squirrels.

"Women?! We were ambushed by women!" Yelled Farious.

"Yes, now get over it." Said a smooth dark voice. We turned to the source to find a women with light brown hair and deep blue eyes. Looking closer I saw she had metal pieces in her hair.

"Are you Tallis?" Asked Marcus

She chuckled before answering "No, Tallis will be here soon." A loud roar was heard near the edge of the forest. "Right on time." She mumbled.

We turned. A huge brown bear came out chasing a woman in a black coat and mask. You could hear her laughing as the bear chased her. The bear jumped on top of her, you could hear the air get knocked out of her with an UMFF.

But the bear never attacked all it did was hold her down and look at her.

I heard the woman yell out, but I did not know for what. The light brown haired woman jogged over to her and leaned over her as if the bear was not present.

"She didn't change does she Jact?" Trag asked.

"The day Tallis changes is the day Tegan stops snorting when she laughs."

"I do not snort when I laugh!" The captor who attacked Trag with a hug earlier yelled.

The two traitors look at each other and in unison said "Suuure you don't. "

A few of the villagers heard and chuckled.

The deep blue-eyed woman walked back over to us with a bag. If you looked behind her you could see the bear walking after her, but was stopped when "Tallis" jumped on its back. I then notice the bear had a makeshift saddle on. The listened to its master as she turned it left and right.

None of us expected her to charge the bear at us. We all screamed in fear as the large bear stood on its hind legs and had it's claws extended toward us. But we stopped when we heard it.

SHE WAS LAUGHING! The woman on top of the bear was laughing at our took off her mask, and smiled. But it wasn't a nice kind of smile. It was a kind the said "I will kill all of you with my bare hands."

"Now, Jact, Trag as much as I am glad that you are home," her voice was sweet and calming, "Why in the Protector's name are there Romans on my land?" But it turned cold and angry quickly. And her bear reacted fast and swiped at the two knocking them down.

"It was the only way to get home." Jact answered, he was scared of the woman.

She sighed "I understand that but why, why didn't you kill them and then come home?"

"Well you did say we were low on men," he was on back on his feet walking toward her, "I brought you some. See I can prove what you need." He reached out to her hand and when his hand got closer to hers; the more anxious her bear got.

She lightly touched her bear's back. "Jact," she said softly ," I'm not in a forgiving mood and you want to try to and get me into your bed." Her voice was a growl. "Do not make me skin you alive." She kicked him in the chest making him fly away from her.

Tallis turned to the light brown haired woman and told her something a language that I actucally knew.

"Take them to the post. Tie them there, no weapons, no armor, no sandals, stripe them to their bare minimum. I want 10 guards watching them." Her voice was stern and not to be reckoned with.


	4. Chapter 4

Esca's POV

And then with a light kick to the bear's side she was off. As this 'Tallis' got farther into the village more animals came to her side. A hawk, five wolves, a dear, and two mountian lions none were bothered by the bear, in fact the mountian lion nuzzled it with their heads. She sat lazily on the bear as it wondered through the village.

My observations of 'Tallis' was cut off by the light brown-haired woman yelling for what I persumed to be more help to go tie us to the mentioned posts. Soon ten women came jogging over to us, but they seemed younger then our orignal captors. The light brown-haired woman gave them their orders, then they drug us off to the posts.

The posts were in the middle of the hole village. Three wooden gaints seemed to look down upon us as we were stripped and tied. Percious was throwing a fit; yelling, cursing, kicking, and headbutting at our jailors. They just continued to tie us, but once Percious managed to headbutt one of the girls, the vilage stood still. The girl stumbled back holding her nose, she looked down at her hand and saw the blood then started laughing.

"Whore!? What are you laughing at?!" he yelled

The girl smiled and said nothing for her smile said it all. "You are going to die"

Soon a bearless Tallis came prowling out of the crowd toward us.

"You know, I hoped one of you would stupid enough to draw blood." she then looked at the younger girl, who was still holding her nose. "Natale, are you alright?" Her voice was soft with concern.

"Nothing but a broken nose, Tallis." Natale smiled up at her.

Tallis returned the smile, "Go and see a healer. I will take care of him." Her smile then turned dark and malic.

As soon as the girl left, Tallis turned and kicked Percious with such strenght he flew back into his pole. She took two strides toward him and pushed him to his knees and tied his hands to the base of the post. Once tied and secure, she procceed to kick him in the gut until he was coughing up blood.

She turned to the rest of us, "This is me showing mercy, draw another drop of blood from anyone of my people then I will torture until to beg for death, then skin you alive and let every drop of blood fall as you die." She turned quickly and walked back into the crowd.

The rest of the us did not move unless the girls asked us or just pushed us to where they wanted us. Once we all were tied in the same postions as Percious the girls called there animals. Three wolves, two large dear bucks, four foxes, and one mountian lion came and surround us. All of the animals prowled around us as the girls left.

Marcus was the first to break the deafening silence, "Percious how bad are you hurt?"

"That woman packs on Hell of a kick. I feel like my stomach is on fire, and my head is still spinning from her first kick." he grunted

Mallious chuckled at him, "Please that woman could not of hurt that bad."

"Oh? How about you take the beating and I sit back and watch?" Percious snapped at his fellow Roman.


	5. Chapter 5

Esca's POV

When night came, no food was given and to make it even better it rained. For three hours we sat in the freezing rain. Luckly, some god must of been looking out for us, for a cloaked figure came to where we tied. But looking closer we saw it was Tallis with her bear and mountian lions trailing behind her. She went straight toward Percious. He pressed himself as far into his post as he could, his eyes wide with fright.

"Peace. You have not done anything to gain another beating." she then smiled softly and teased, "Unless you have something to confess to me?" Her voice light and full of humor.

Percious leaned closer to her. She smiled at him and draped a fur blanket over his shoulder, the hide on the outside keeping the rain from hitting him as hard as it was before. She moved to Lirk, myself, Marcus, Fallious, and Narisious giving us all the same treatment, a soft smile and a small joke. Then turned to leave.

"Hey!" Mallious yelled at her. She looked over her shoulder at him "You forgot me!"

She turned and started to walk back to him, "I did not forget you. I simply do not want to give you any warmth. Seeing how your heart gave no warmth to your comrade who had just taking a beating. And yet all you could do was laugh at him. Even your own brother showed warmth when you just tried to make Percious feel worse."

Mallious's eyes widen at all of the facts she just stated: Mallious laughed at Pericous, she knew Pericous's name, she knew Mallious had a brother and that said brother showed Pericous kindness when he did not.

"Now, you also did not believe that I could kick that hard. Personally, I find that the most offending of all of the things I have stated. Perhaps I should let you feel first-hand how hard I can hit."

She then punched him the face; his nose broke and gushing blood, his checkbone was cracked, and his lip was busted and bleeding heavily. She then stood up and gave a quick ,but strong, kick to his gut. Mallious' head hung lowly showing that he had been knocked unconicous.

Tallis then turned and went back to where she came from, a dark and warm home.

"Well, that was unexpected." Lirk stated quietly.

"Yeah, but I am glad she did it." Fallious said softly looking at his brother.

"Cannot wait until he wakes." Percious smiled

"Careful Percious, that is what got him in that mess." Marcus said being the voice of reason, as usual.

"Is it me, or was she very beautiful when she smiled?" Narisious sighed

"She was beautiful even when she was ontop of that beast of a bear." I whispered quietly, and luckliyl no one heard me. Everyone started to doze off into the much warmer night.

Timeskip

I had awoken first, as per usual, and looked around the village. Most of the men and children were up and doing some chores. Some men when starting to cook and the children where feeding animals. I then noticed and a woman wearing a dress the color of mint. Her hair was down and had a lot of metal clips in it. She must of felt my gaze and turned toward me.


End file.
